Machine for cutting heads from cans.



E. B. TRACY, l. H. D. PETERS. S. A. GRI'FHTHS A. A. HEBERT. ,MACHINE Foa CUTTING HEADS FROM CAMS. APPLICATION FILED IULY 5.1917.

L'. Patented Nov. 5,1918.

2 SHEETS--SHEET l.

Inventors RNEsT B. RACY .TOMA H. D. MERS STANLEY A. Gnu-'mms ALPAmm Awww E. B. TRACY, A. H. D. PETERS, S. A. GRlFFITHS A. A. HEBERT.

MACHINE FOR CUTTlNG HEADS FROM GANS. -APPL|cATmN min JULY 5.1911.

Jn-aww IETERS .STANLEY A. www5 ALPHOMSEA. mmm

. and `ALPHONSE AL `a machine which tures which lwill .ERNESIVR TRACY, JOI-IN PE'rEEs, s'rAELEv a. eEIEEI'rHs, nur: ALPHONSE A.

HEBERT, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

i MACHINE FOR CUTTING HEADS FROM CANS.

To all wlw/1n t may Concern.'

Beit known that we, ERNEST B. TRACY, JOHNH. D. PETERS, STANLEY A. GRIEFITHS, HEBERT, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Seattle, county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new andusbful Improvements in Machines for Cutting' Heads from Cans, of which the following is a specification.

i Uur invention relates to an apparatus employed in cutting the heads from cans and is `particularly designed for use upon `the square cans whichare commonly usedv for shippingkerosene, the same having a capacity of five gallons. rlFhe same principles and `features of constructionmay; however, be applied to other kinds of cans under analogousconditions.`

The object of our invention is toprovide capable of rapidly `and cheaply` cutting the heads from these cans so that the cansmay-...be collapsed into flat condition such thatthey may be shipped to points where the material may be used.

ur invention comprises the novel feabe particularly deiined in the claims. x i 1 ln the accompanying drawings we have shown our device in what is now its preferredforin. j y ,y i i Figure-l is a sideelevation ofthe machine, having a part` thereof at one end broken away and in section. y n

Fig. 2 is a vertical. transverse sectiontaken through the central part of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cutting head.

There are large quantities of .kerosene shipped abroad in square fivegallon cans, of which two cans are usually placed within a case. These cans, after being emptied, are made use of in such ways as are possible. A. large number of these have been used for shipping soy bean oil from the Orient to this country, and are emptied at port of receipt, the contents being finally placed in tank cars for shipment to the points of final use. This produces an accumulation of a large number of cans for which there is no local use. We have discovered that by cutting the heads from these cans so that they may be collapsed, the cans may then be baled and shipped back to the Orient, where the material in the cans is used for various purspecification of Letters Patent.

ting edges forming y blades may side may which, as

rateatea uw. 5, 1918.

Application tiled July 5, 1917. Serial No. 178,631.

poses, particularly roofing material. The device which is the subject of this invention is one which is designed for economically and cheaply preparing these cans for ship ping.

ln this work we employ a cutter `which will cut about the marginiof three sides of the head, the fourth side being left uncut and the head being folded within the side before the same its preferred forni, consists of three blades 2, which are each made with inclined cuta blade in the general tooth of asaw. These three be made separately and secured to a central frame, or, as we prefer to do and have herein shown, they `are made as opposed parts of a single piece which is bent to forni three sides of a square.` The fourth be formed by a bar 23 which support the two opposed blades at their `other ends. A transverse bar or bars 2l connect these blades and to this is secured a rod 22, herein shown, extend substantially parallel with the axis o the cutter and the central axis of the can, in the position which the can occupies `while being cut. i

. If such a cutter be forced against the end shape of the of a can and it is so positioned that the cutting edges cut immediately inside the margin ofthe head, the head will be cut `from "the sides along three sides of the can. The head may thus be folded inward against the sides of the can. When opposite 'heads of the can have been thus treated, the sides of the can may be collapsed into Hat shape.

'lhe manner of holding the can and applying the cutter heads thereto to cut the can heads may be varied. rlhe means for doing this, which have been herewith illustrated, are those which we prefer to use where both heads are to be cut at once. These means employ a frame having a cradle l, which has two wings or planes at right angles to each other, thus forming a trough-shaped structure of a size and shape to receive a can being operated upon. The can placed in this cradle will be accurately registered.

rlhe edges of the cutter should be spaced away from the sides of the trough or cradle suliciently to insure their engagement with the ends of the can head just inward from its sides. A convenient way of securing this result is to mount short sections of angle is collapsed The cutter, in

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bars at the corners of the cutter head, the flanges of these being of such thickness as to hold the cutting edge the required distance away from the inner surfaces of the trough. The angle bars 20 thus form slides upon which the cutter head is carried.

, .The bar 22, which is secured to the cutter heads, `is mounted'to slide in a bracket or guide 12, which is carried by or secured to the frame. The frame is herein shown as -provided `with legs 10 upon which it is vcarried at a convenient level for operation.

The reciprocation of the cutter hea ds may be secured in various ways. The means herein shown consists of the bell crank levers which are pivoted at and of which the armB is connected with the rod 22 by a short link 32, and the -arm 31 extends toward the center of the machine and to which power .isapplied in `any convenient manner. -1 As herein shown, this is `done by means of links and a foot board l. The return of these levers and the cutter heads to their proper position may be secured vin `any convenient manner, such for instance, as by the vuse ofa weight 6, mounted upon arm'GO which is secured to the bell crank lever, or to the 'pivot Aupon -which said lever is r mounted.

.In 'operating this device, the can is laid in the trough formed by thetwo blades 1.

The levers 31 are then depressed. `This forces the :two cutter heads toward each other. They engage the heads of the can just withinthe side edges and cut the same loose on three Sides. Thesecutterheads are preferably placed so that the edge which is `uncut by one cutter is not the same as that uncut by the otherl cutter, the two being edges "which are adjacent to eachother so that when the heads are folded inward they will not be superpose'd.

We have shown this device as operated by the foot of the attendant. It is evident that the same may be connected to be operated by power, or by any other means which is found suitable or necessary. We do not,

therefore, wish to limit the operation of the to said cutters and having sliding support from the can holding cradle, and means for reciprocating the cutter.

E 2. A cutter for square cans comprising a trough shaped cradle and guide-adapted to receive the can, a cutter mounted to slide in said cradle and having three blades, each adapted to'cut its respective side of a can head, a rod secured to the cutter and extending rearwardly, a guide for said rod carried by the cradle and an actuatingr mechanism secured to said rod andadapted toreciprocate' the same.

3. A- cutting device for the heads of square cans comprising a' frame having a cradle adapted to receive and position the cans, said cradle extending in each direction from the can position and forming cutter guides, twocutters mounted to slide in said guides, each cutter having knives positioned to cut about the. margins of the canl heads, andactuating levers operatively connected with said cutters.

Signed at Seattle, Washington5`t'his27th day of June, 1917.

ERNEST B. TRACY. JOHN H. D. PETERS.

STANLEY A. GRIFFITHS. y ALPHONSE A. HEBERT.

copies of vthis `patent maybe obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Waahingtomnc. 

